NOTES FOR VISITORS: Welcome to the Alaska Outdoors Supersite forums! The contents of our forums are viewable by anyone, and may be read by clicking the forum headings below. To post in the forums, you must register at THIS LINK. To upgrade or change your membership, please login and select Upgrade > Supporting Membership. Your account will now be managed separately from the forum system. Forum login is separate from account management but shares the same username and password.

IMPORTANT: If you cannot log-in, please reset your password using our new 6 character format through THIS LINK and click Forgot Password. An email message with a reset link will be sent to your email address.

Alpine Creek Lodge

Just got back from a few days in unit 13 looking to thin out some wolves. Didn't see any but I stayed at the Alpine Creek Lodge with DenaliHunter. If you are ever thinking about heading out that way I would strongly suggest staying with them. It felt more like someone opening their home to us than staying at a lodge. Claude, Jennifer, Lisa, Kyle and Ryan were great and Bob is always entertaining. They are the only place open on the highway all year long.

"...arms like laws discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe...Horrid mischief would ensue were the good deprived of the use of them." -Thomas Paine

I also spent some time at Alpine Creek and I totally agree with you. I felt like I was at home and had an amazing time. I took some older family members and a great time was had by all. Missed Mr Clause as he was out fighting an oil spill, have to make another trip some and shake his hand.

Steve

"I refuse to let the things I can't do stop me from doing the things I can"

You guys make me cry for home now. I was born on a resort in Northeastern Minn and lived there till I was 30, when my grandfather and parents sold it. Saddest day in my entire life. But alot of the existing resorts in that area are still like what you all are describing here. Nothing like a lodge that makes you feel at home and like family. That is just great and thanks for this great post. You just brought me back to my beginnings in time and made me remember thje best years of my life. Wish I could go back and do it all over again and I wouldn't change anything. It was a great life that most people could never experience. I'm a very lucky old fart.

I can do the impossible right away. Be patient, miracles take me a bit longer.

Claude and Jennifer are great people, and I wish them the best in their venture. I'm sure it's a ton of work doing what they do, but what a place to do it.

Thinking a couple trips are in order this year.

Claude showed us around the lodge and how he was getting power, heat and water. It's a pretty good setup and will be better when everything is up and running. I know it's got to be a chore resupplying in the winter by snowmachine.

"...arms like laws discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe...Horrid mischief would ensue were the good deprived of the use of them." -Thomas Paine

Last weekend a friend and I hauled in 200lbs of groceries for Claude. While the snow is thin and windblown in spots the road is mostly good. As is typical, as you get farther east the snow gets progressively better, not counting the drifting from about MP 97 to MP 86.

And for you recreational snowmachiners out there...there is a "trail" from the lodge back to upper Raft Creek. The bowl back there is really nice. So if you have a long track and know how to ride it, go have some fun.

Great destination, wonderful people, and the view goes on for days.

If cave men had been trophy hunters the Wooly Mammoth would be alive today

OK, so if we flew into Anchorage is that the starting point and it is 68 miles from there or ????
Thx
Randy

This question made me spit out my coffee. Funny. Smokey - No disrespect and I'm assuming you haven't tried to look the trip up on Google Maps or Mapquest, but basically. You need to look into Anchorage, AK to Cantwell, AK, or Anchorage, AK to Paxson, AK, or Fairbanks, AK to Cantwell, AK, or Fairbanks, AK to Paxson, AK. Seeing a pattern yet? The "Denali Hwy" has nothing to do with Denali National Park. The Denali Hwy is a 135 mile gravel road that runs between Paxson, AK, and Cantewell, AK. Paxson is mp 0 and Cantwell is mp 135. Alpine Creek lodge is at mp 68. If you do a search on Google for "Denali Hwy" you'll find some information. Also, look up McClaren River Lodge, Alpine Creek Lodge and that is about it I think. Basically its about 220 miles from Anchorage to Cantwell and then from Cantwell to Alpine Creek lodge is about 68 miles of gravel road, avg vehicle speed of 30 mph. So, all in all about a 5-6 hour trip. With the right planning its totally doable and alot of people like to make a loop. You can leave Anchorage, drive to Cantwell via the Parks Hwy then turn right onto the Denali Hwy, drive the whole 135 miles, stopping at the mid-point (Alpine Creek Lodge) and then drive from there to Paxson, then from Paxson turn right onto the Richardson Hwy to Glennallen (about 2.5 hours), turn right onto the Glenn Hwy back to Anchorage (about 3 hours).

Fairbanks most the time, Ancorage some of the time,& on the road Kicking Anti's all the time

Posts

8,989

Originally Posted by Smokey

OK, so if we flew into Anchorage is that the starting point and it is 68 miles from there or ????
Thx
Randy

Denali hwy runs between the parks and the Richardson hwy...

or in between the community of Cantwell and Paxton. in the Alaska range... both comms are about 3 hours north of ANCH.. depending on your route.. gonna have to get out your atlas... there are only 3 major highways anyway.. so should not be hard to find.

the the Denali highway Mile markers begin in Paxton. and end in cantwell... 68 miles is just about center... regardless. if you start at mile marker 1 or 136.... your going to 68 mile Denali.

"If you are on a continuous search to be offended, you will always find what you are looking for; even when it isn't there."

From Anchorage to Cantwell is 212 miles, Anchorage to Paxson is about 260 miles. Either way you go the time is roughly the same. Personally I think coming in from Cantwell is a bit easier. And if you wanted to check out Denali National Park while you are here it puts you closer to that.

"...arms like laws discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe...Horrid mischief would ensue were the good deprived of the use of them." -Thomas Paine

If you do a google search for the Alpine Creek Lodge it is in the wrong spot so don't get confused. Google puts it by the gravel pit on the west side of the Susitna River. Just to the east/northeast of the river is the Clearwater mountains. You should be able to find Alpine Creek on a good topo map and that is where the lodge is.

"...arms like laws discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe...Horrid mischief would ensue were the good deprived of the use of them." -Thomas Paine

Thanks for the kind words to everyone! This has been my dream since I was 12 years old hunting out of a lodge/mine West of Wiseman, and thought someday I had to have some kind of remote lodge. At age 41, 2 years ago, we finally pulled it off. What a lot of fun it is! It's even more fun then I thought it would be. I could not be more impressed with my wife and son, and the employees taking care of the place while I was gone for several months. And she still is smiling, and keeps enjoying everyday more. I have to say that she has enjoyed all the guests, and particularly the forum members that have stayed with us. Really a great bunch of folks in here! She has even conceded to let Vince and Chuck come back together. This couldn't be done without you guys. Many of you have worked and helped us out so much. AkhunterNP brought in much needed alcohol, and a few eggs (the lucky 20 eggs that made it in, and the unlucky 40 that were a nice omelet!) Erik's note about hauling all the stuff in last weekend is a good point about that. These are the things that can't be measured. It would have cost a huge pile of money for us to run all the way out, drive to Anchorage, get all the stuff, and come back. Stid, I love that picture you posted! We would like to use it on the webpage if that's okay!

To clear up, there are other lodges on the highway. Maclaren River Lodge is 26 miles to the East of us, and they are open year round. Al and Susie are great folks, and they have helped us out a bunch! There are no other year round lodges on the highway, but in the summer the Gracious House is open, and Butch also opens up for large snow machine groups in the winter. Tangle Lakes and Tangle River lodges are open in the summer.

Thanks again to all of you, and we look forward to meeting you all! If you guys see anything we can improve on, just let us know.

We have decided to do our April/May special again next spring at $50 per person, per night! It's a great time of year! No bugs, long days, warm, still snow around, and excellent spring grizzly hunting.

There isn't very much from those other folks here on this forum - maybe they aren't aware of it - but all the others, except for the new owners of Paxson Lodge, have been on the Highway for more than a decade and have a great deal of knowledge about the land and animals.

Also, Butch and Carol at Gracious House, mile 82, have been there forever, but they are open summertime only, as are Jack and Naidine at Tangle River Inn, mile 21. Tangle Lakes Lodge, at mile 22, has been closed since 2004.